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Friday, March 27, 2015

Romero beatification update #11

There was a
large peace march in El Salvador on Thursday that doubled
as the dress rehearsal for the beatification of Archbishop Óscar A. Romero on May 23rd.Ground zero for the march was the Divine Savior Monument, where the beatification will be held, and the government
estimated that 300,000 turned out—half a million have been projected for the
beatification.The march seems to have
unfolded without incident which bodes well for the beatification, but we will
keep an eye out for relevant insights here.

Thursday’s
march bears three important lessons for those coming to El Salvador in
May.The first thing the march points to
is the undeniable fact that El Salvador does not feel at peace and yearns for
it.A very serious crime problem,
including a very high homicide rate (which local authorities dismiss as
gang-on-gang violence), has the population on edge.The second thing the march signals, though,
is the goodwill of the law-abiding Salvadoran people.The average Salvadoran is decent, friendly,
and wants peace.Perhaps the most
important thing the peace march says to potential beatification-goers is that
El Salvador is safe for a large-scale event.

Obviously,
there is strength in numbers.Conversely, though, there is danger in isolated areas and you should not
wander off the beaten path, be out alone at late hours, etc.Travel advisories, such as those issued by the U.S. State Department, are worth a read.Salvadoran authorities have told the local
press that the port authority, customs, police, and other entities will work
together to assure visitors’ safety, and may have to hire temporary workers to
meet the added service demands for visitors during the beatification.The army
contributed to security efforts at Thursday’s march.

Another reason
for assurance about the May beatification is that the presence of numerous heads
of state will mean that greater San Salvador will be officially on lockdown.The foreign ministry has confirmed that it sent out invitations to
regional heads of state, and that it has received expressions of interest from
Central American leaders to be there.They, and all others arriving in El Salvador, will enter the country
through the Archbishop Óscar A. Romero International Airport, which will be
decorated with new signage highlighting its new name.

Finally, I want
to feature a useful website each week, to help readers learn more about El
Salvador, Archbishop Romero, and related topics.This week’s selection is Hablan de Monseñor Romero
(Talking about Archbishop Romero — in Spanish), which is more than a Facebook fan page for
the book of the same name.The book, by
Roberto Valencia, reveals Romero through in-depth conversations with nine close
collaborators.The Facebook page
continues the discussion with additional insights and reposting of hand-picked
additional information.

Please let me
know what other information would be useful.A programming note: there will be no new posts until after Easter, as
Super Martyrio will be on break for Holy Week.Read last week’s update here.